


Heatwave

by thatapostateboy



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Circle of Magi, F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-21
Updated: 2014-04-21
Packaged: 2018-01-20 04:58:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1497496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatapostateboy/pseuds/thatapostateboy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A glimpse into the lives of Surana, Amell, Jowan and Anders when they're all still apprentices in the Circle. <br/>A heatwave in Ferelden, a first meeting with a new Templar and a bet riding on Anders' charm.</p>
<p>Set Pre-Origins.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heatwave

**Author's Note:**

> It was always my headcanon that Surana, Amell, Anders and Jowan were friends in the Circle. So I wanted to explore the friendship I imagined them having.  
> Hope you enjoy!

Cal Surana had never known it as hot in the Tower as he did that summer. Normally, living in the Tower combined with Ferelden’s harsh weather normally left him seeking the warmth of the fires, but the summer that year was unnaturally hot and all of them were feeling it. All of the apprentices had taken to the library in search of books to look for ice spells or simply for something to fan themselves with.

The elf was sprawled out on the top bunk, hoping that he could sleep through the heat, but it was just making him restless. He moved, hanging his head off of the edge to look onto the bunk below where Anders and Jowan were sat playing cards.

“Andraste’s knickers, it’s hot in here,” Cal groaned, looking to his friends for advice.

“Know any frost spells?” Jowan asked.

“None. Lightning’s my thing, not frost,” the elf sighed, “Anders?”

“Nope,” the blonde said.

“Where’s Amell?” Cal frowned, looking around the quarters for their other friend, “She’s good enough to make it snow in here.” Brianna Amell was a close friend of all of theirs, having grown up with them.

Anders started to smile, “I saw her in the library earlier. She’s been spending a lot of time with that new Templar.”

Cal clambered down, suddenly intrigued, “Brianna? Really? Are you sure? She doesn’t really seem the… type.”

“What, the Templar type? Or just the boy type?” Anders chuckled.

“Either. Both. I don’t know. She’s never shown any interest in… well… anyone.”

“You say that about anyone that hasn’t shown any interest in you,” Anders pointed out with a chuckle.

Cal grabbed his pillow and threw it at his friend, “Bri’s like a sister to me… and I don’t say that about anyone…”

Anders hummed with laughter, “Doesn’t matter anyway. No one’s going to want an eighteen year old in sweat-drenched robes. You haven’t got the charm to pull it off.”

“But you have?” Cal raised an eyebrow.

“We’re getting off topic,” Jowan butted in, fanning himself with his cards, “What’s going on with Bri and this templar?”

“Nothing, so far as I saw,” Anders said, then got onto his feet, “Nonetheless, we should go and investigate, just in case, and if nothing else, we can bargain some ice spells off of her… I wonder if she likes cookies.”

“Where did you get cookies?” Cal asked as he hopped down from his bunk.

“Some younger apprentice gets them sent to him every week from his parents. He was receiving too many, so I relieved him of them,” Anders shrugged as they all headed out of their quarters.

“Was it the same kid that yelled at you the other day for doodling in the healing spell book?” Cal’s tone was curious.

Anders just glanced at his friend with a smile, “Mayhaps.”

They all headed to the library in search of their female friend. Just as they predicted, the library was full of apprentices all fanning themselves with books. The only comfort that most of the mages took with the heat was that however hot they were, the Templars would have been feeling twice as hot in their metal armour.

Jowan spotted Brianna scouring the shelves for a book and went to call to her, but Anders hit his arm and pulled him into a hiding position behind one of the other shelves so they could watch her without being seen.

“That’s him,” the blonde pointed to a young Templar, one that they didn’t recognise, who approached Brianna.

“Is there something wrong?” the Templar asked her, noticing the look of pure confusion on her face.

Brianna looked around at him, her face perfectly cool as always, not glistening with sweat like the rest of the apprentices. She had an aptitude for frost magic, which had helped them play many ‘slippery floor’ pranks on the Templars growing up, but she no longer took part in their practical joking. And it was this control over her frost magic that allowed her to remain cool even in the blistering heat.

She offered him a smile then glanced back at the shelf, “I’m afraid I can’t reach the book I want, and all of the ladders are in use.”

“Which one is it?” he asked, and once she pointed it out, he reached up and pulled it down for her. He handed it to her, a nervous smile on his face.

“Thank you,” she grinned at him, clasping the book to her chest.

“It’s no trouble,” he told her.

Anders snorted to his friends, “Look at him, barely finished his first day and already he wants into her pants.”

“He’s barely said two words to her,” Jowan pointed out, “He got a book for her, doesn’t mean he wants to have sex with her.”

“Look at how they’re looking at each other. The stupid smiles and the googly eyes. She could have reached that book if she wanted to. She wants him as much as he wants her,” Anders said, “They were the exact same earlier. She supposedly ‘tripped’ right in front of him, carrying a load of books, just so that he would help and talk to her.”

“He won’t get away with that for long,” Cal said quietly, glancing around the shelf to look at Brianna and the Templar who were now discussing the subject of the book he’d gotten for her, “The Knight Commander won’t like it. If he’s got any sense, he’ll back off early and let her down easy. He’s new. He’ll learn.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Jowan asked.

“If he touches her against her will, I’ll burn his eyes out of their sockets,” Cal hissed. He was fiercely protective of Brianna. They had come to the Circle around the same time and had practically grown up together. She was like a sister to him. He heard enough stories about Templars forcing themselves upon apprentices to know that he was never going to allow that to happen to her.

“She looks pretty willing to me,” Anders said.

“She deserves better than him,” the elf sighed, “If she weren’t a mage, they’d be fending off suitors for her hand. And yet, she’s stuck in here, with us.”

“Could be worse things than being with a noblewoman,” Anders shrugged a little.

“Yeah,” Cal snorted, “Like a noblewoman would want you.”

“Why not? I’m handsome, charming, good in bed, I fancy my chances,” Anders smiled.

“I sure don’t,” Jowan chuckled a little, “I’m not sure any noblewoman is going to want a mage.”

“Or an apostate, which you would have to be to be with said noblewoman,” Cal pointed out, “Doesn’t matter how good you are in bed, you wouldn’t be worth the hassle with the Templars.”

“I’ve got a gold coin and a box of cookies that says you’re wrong,” Anders grinned.

“You’re on,” Cal said, shaking his friend’s hand.

“We’re getting off topic again,” Jowan said, “So we’re definitely sure Bri’s got a crush on this guy?”

“Without a doubt,” Anders nodded, “She normally gives anything in armour a wide berth. But this… this is something different entirely.”

They all jumped when they heard someone clearing their throat behind them. They looked around to see Brianna there, eyebrow raised, “Were you guys spying on me?”

“Not at all,” Cal said quickly, “Just seeing if you were busy… Looks like you are. Excuse us.”

They started to leave, but with a flick of her hand, she froze their feet to the floor. As pleasant as the cold was on the young mages’ feet, they all looked at each other in panic.

“See, always said you were good with frost, Bri,” Anders chuckled nervously.

“I want in on your bet,” she said.

He frowned, “What?”

“Gold coin says you could never convince a noble to let you into their bed,” she said, her face serious but her eyes gave away her inner laughter.

“Oh, you are _on_ , Amell,” Anders grinned and the four mages headed back to the apprentice quarters where they spent the rest of the afternoon lazing around on the ice cold floor, courtesy of Brianna, eating the cookies that Anders provided. He insisted that he would be able to swipe more from the young apprentice.

Later that week, they eventually found out that the Templar was new here, still quite young, named Cullen.


End file.
